Larus californicus – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

California Gull – A Misnamed Gull Species

By Mia McPherson|January 13th, 2024|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, California Gull, calling, close up, desert island, floating, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, open bill, park, pond, portrait, resting, silvery, spring, urban, water, winter, winter plumage|

As I photographed a winter California Gull at my local pond two days ago, I thought about how these gulls are a misnamed species for the umpteenth time.

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California Gull In Winter Plumage

By Mia McPherson|December 8th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, autumn, California Gull, Definitive Basic Plumage, fall, flight, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, lifting off, nonbreeding plumage, park, pond, taking, taking off, urban, water, winter plumage|

While I was at my local pond three days ago, I was happy to photograph this California Gull in winter plumage that had just landed on the water.

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California Gull Playing With A Stick

By Mia McPherson|January 25th, 2023|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: behavior, California Gull, flight, flying, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, mid air, play, playing, pond, shoreline, snagging, stick, urban, water, winter, winter plumage|

This morning I'm sharing two photos of a California Gull playing with a stick at one of my local ponds that I took during the winter in January of 2021.

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Cloudy And Gray Winter Solstice

By Mia McPherson|December 22nd, 2022|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: California Gull, clouds, cloudy, flock, gray, gull, gulls, ice, Larus californicus, low light, mountains, nonbreeding plumage, peaks, pond, resting, sky, snow, urban, Wasatch Mountain Range, Wasatch Mountains, water, winter, Winter Solstice|

My Winter Solstice was cloudy and gray. I wandered down to my local pond to take in my first day of winter views of the Wasatch Mountains plus a few birds.

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Winter California And American Herring Gull Comparison In Utah

By Mia McPherson|November 8th, 2022|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: adult, American Herring Gull, beach, Bear River, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, breeding plumage, California Gull, coastal, comparison, composite, Definitive Alternate Plumage, Definitive Basic Plumage, floating, Gulf of Mexico, gull, gulls, ice, ID features, identification, Larus californicus, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, river, sand, side by side, water, wetlands, winter, winter plumage|

Since I frequently get asked which is which I thought this would be a good time to do a winter California and American Herring Gull comparison and ID feature post.

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Urban California Gull In Soft Morning Light

By Mia McPherson|March 21st, 2022|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, California Gull, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, morning light, park, perched, pond, railing, soft, urban, water, winter|

Last week I spent a few minutes focused on photographing an urban California Gull in soft morning light at a pond close to home.

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Three California Gull Photos

By Mia McPherson|January 19th, 2022|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, breeding plumage, California Gull, close up, Definitive Alternate Plumage, desert island, Erodium cicutarium, gape, grass, grasses, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, near breeding plumage, orbital ring, portrait, Redstem Filaree, resting, urban, wildflowers, winter|

While taking a short break yesterday morning I went down to my local pond for a few minutes and took a few California Gull photos while I was there.

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Christmas Day Birds 2021

By Mia McPherson|December 26th, 2021|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Common Goldeneyes, Great Blue Herons, Great-tailed Grackles, Mallards, Rough-legged Hawks|Tags: adult, American Coot, Anas platyrhynchos, Ardea herodias, breeding plumage, Bucephala clangula, Buteo lagopus, California Gull, calling, Christmas, Christmas Day, close up, Common Goldeneye, coot, coots, crawdad, crayfish, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, drake, duck, ducks, eating, female, first winter, flight, flying, foraging, Fulica americana, goldeneye, goldeneyes, grackle, grackles, grass, gray sky, Great Blue Heron, Great-tailed Grackle, gull, gulls, hawk, hawks, heron, herons, hovering, Icterids, immature, Larus californicus, low light, male, Mallard, mallards, marsh, nonbreeding plumage, open bill, pond, portrait, Quiscalus mexicanus, rails, Rough-legged Hawk, splashing, urban, wading birds, water, water droplets, wetlands, winter, young|

I did get out to find and photograph birds on Christmas Day at Farmington Bay WMA and then later in the morning I found more closer to home.

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California Gull After A Bath

By Mia McPherson|December 11th, 2021|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, air, autumn, bath, California Gull, fall, flapping, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, leaping, nonbreeding plumage, pond, post bath, urban, water, wings|

I photographed this California Gull after it bathed almost a year ago at a small pond close to where I live in Salt Lake county on a cold afternoon.

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California Gull On Ice

By Mia McPherson|January 14th, 2021|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, authentic, authenticity, California Gull, close up, gull, gulls, handout, ice, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, pond, profile, thin ice, Willow Pond, winter|

I went down to my local pond yesterday afternoon where the first bird I photographed was an adult California Gull standing on thin ice.

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Wintry View Of Bear River MBR And The Snow-covered Wasatch Mountains

By Mia McPherson|August 3rd, 2020|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, California Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Utah, Wasatch Mountains|Tags: American Herring Gulls, California Gulls, clouds, gull, gulls, ice, Larus californicus, Larus delawarensis, Larus smithsonianus, marsh, mountains, refuge, Ring-billed Gulls, snow, snowy mountains, view, Wasatch Mountains, water, wildlife refuge, winter, wintry|

Just viewing this winter photo of the refuge made me feel refreshed and cooler. I also realized it might be hot now but cooler weather will be here before long.

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California Gull With Eyes That Look Like Snowflake Obsidian

By Mia McPherson|December 19th, 2019|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, California Gull, close up, eye color, eye color variation, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, necklace, necklaces, pond, portrait, snowflake, snowflake obsidian, urban, water|

It has been three years and one day since I took photos of a California Gull that had eyes that looked like snowflake obsidian.

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Cooling Winter Views Of The Great Salt Lake

By Mia McPherson|August 25th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: beach, California Gulls, clouds, cold, flight, Great Salt Lake, gulls, lake, Larus californicus, mountains, shoreline, sky, snow, Utah, water, winter|

I live in such a beautiful state and even though birds are my primary focus as subjects the natural world that surrounds me is endlessly fascinating, stunning and I hope I never lose the sense of wonder I feel when I see it.

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Imagine Utah Without California Gulls

By Mia McPherson|August 11th, 2019|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Conservation, Davis County, Environment, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, at risk, brine flies, California Gull, chasing, climate change, climate crisis, flight, flying, Great Salt Lake, gull, gulls, icy, lake, lake shore, Larus californicus, pond, urban|

Ah, Mia, it is just a bird. No, it isn't just a bird. Because California Gulls aren't the only birds at risk of disappearing from the skies, shorelines and waters of Utah.

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Winter California Gull Splashing On Landing – Goodbye February

By Mia McPherson|March 1st, 2019|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, California Gull, gull, gulls, landing, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, pond, splash, splashing water, urban, water, winter|

On one of the brighter afternoons I spent just 15 minutes at the local pond and came away with lots of photos of winter California Gulls bathing, flying and landing and among those I liked this image the most.

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Barn Owl, Immature Bald Eagle, California And Ring-billed Gulls

By Mia McPherson|February 9th, 2019|Categories: American Barn Owls, Bald Eagles, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Barn Owl, Bald Eagle, behavior, California Gull, eagle, eagles, grasses, gull, gulls, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, head low, hunting, ice, immature, landing, Larus californicus, Larus delawarensis, marsh, marshes, owl, owls, perched, pole, raptors, Ring-billed Gull, snow, snow-covered, stretch, thin ice, Tyto furcata, Wasatch Mountains, wing lift, winter|

So, even though I didn't get great photos yesterday I was glad to get out and photograph a Barn Owl, Bald Eagle and these California and Ring-billed Gulls.

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California Gull On Ice In Salt Lake County

By Mia McPherson|January 4th, 2019|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, California Gull, frozen, gull, gulls, ice, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, pond, standing, urban, winter|

While photographing a California Gull on ice two days ago I was reminded of how well these gulls survive the bitter cold we have here at times during the winter even when the ponds, lakes and rivers freeze over.

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2018 Year In Review For On The Wing Photography

By Mia McPherson|December 31st, 2018|Categories: Baltimore Orioles, Birds, Brewer's Blackbirds, California Gulls, Cedar Waxwings, Northern Mockingbirds, Peregrine Falcons, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Say's Phoebes, Tundra Swans, Wild Turkeys, Yellow Warblers, Yellow-bellied Marmots|Tags: Baltimore Oriole, Bombycilla cedrorum, Brewer's Blackbird, California Gull, Cedar Waxwing, Cygnus columbianus, Euphagus cyanocephalus, Falco peregrinus, Icterus galbula, Larus californicus, Marmota flaviventris, Meleagris gallopavo, Mimus polyglottos, Northern Mockingbird, Peregrine Falcon, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Say's Phoebe, Sayornis saya, Setophaga petechia, Sitta canadensis, Tundra Swan, Wild Turkey, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-bellied Marmot|

All in all, as 2018 comes to a close I realize how fortunate I am to see all the birds that I do throughout the year as a bird photographer, to be able to do what I love and to love my feathered subjects too.

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That Wasn’t Cool – Sorry About Those Ads

By Mia McPherson|December 21st, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: California Gull, close up, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, portrait|

I recently became aware that there were ads at the bottom of the email that was automatically sent out to you all when I published my blog post this morning.

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Low Light California Gull In Flight During A Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|November 30th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: California Gull, flight, gray day, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, low light, pond, snow, snow storm, urban, winter|

During the winter I have opportunities to photograph California Gulls in flight in snow storms in low light and while images like this one aren't appealing to everyone's tastes I like them a lot.

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Some Of The Joys Of Photographing Birds Close To Home

By Mia McPherson|November 19th, 2018|Categories: American Coots, Birds, California Gulls, Canada Geese, Pied-billed Grebes, Ring-necked Ducks, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: afternoon light, American Coot, Aythya collaris, behavior, Branta canadensis, California Gull, Canada Geese, Circle Display, circling, duck, ducks, female, flight, flying, Fulica americana, geese, goose, grebe, grebes, gulls, hen, Larus californicus, lifting off, open bill, photograph, photographing, Pied-billed Grebe, Ring-necked Duck, underwater vegetation, waterfowl|

I spent some time at one of the local ponds yesterday afternoon and came home with photos that made me smile and for a little while I forgot about the long hours I spent getting skunked on the road earlier in the day.

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Great Salt Lake Brine Flies – Important Food Source For California Gulls

By Mia McPherson|July 14th, 2018|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Brine Flies, California Gulls, Davis County, Utah|Tags: active feeding, brine flies, California Gull, chasing, Ephydra cinerea, Ephydra hians, food source, food web, Great Salt Lake, gull, gulls, hypersaline, immature, Larus californicus, scoop|

Brine flies that live in the Great Salt Lake are an important food source for California Gulls and watching the gulls feed on the flies is fascinating as they use several techniques to catch them.

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Winter California and American Herring Gull Portrait Comparisons

By Mia McPherson|March 3rd, 2018|Categories: American Herring Gulls, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: American Herring Gull, California Gull, comparison, dark iris, gape, gonydeal, gonydeal spot, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, Larus smithsonianus, light iris, orbital ring, portrait, profile view|

We have the Ring-billed and California Gulls in northern Utah year round but the Herring Gulls are only winter visitors to this area.

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California Gull Blur in a Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|February 27th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, blur, California Gull, flight, flying, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, snow storm, urban, winter|

This California Gull blur in a snow storm was one of those blurs that happened because of slow shutter speeds and low light but I found that I liked the resulting photo and will call it a happy accident.

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Salt Lake County Winter California Gull Portrait

By Mia McPherson|January 25th, 2018|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, California Gull, close up, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, nonbreeding, nonbreeding plumage, pond, portrait, urban, water, winter|

Two days ago this California Gull flew in and was so close to me that I felt I had to take portraits of it because the gull looked so handsome against the blue of the water.

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California Gull In My Face

By Mia McPherson|December 14th, 2017|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: autumn, California Gull, close up, fall, flight, flying, gull, gulls, head on, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, urban|

It isn't all that often I get to photograph a gull lift off from the water and fly head on directly towards me like this California Gull in winter plumage did a few days ago.

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For The Love Of All That’s Birdy, There Is No Such Thing As A Seagull

By Mia McPherson|November 26th, 2017|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, California Gulls, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: California Gull, gulls, humor, Larus californicus, Larus delawarensis, Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, No Such Things as a Seagull, Ring-billed Gull|

One of the things that make my feathers ruffle though is when I see people post a bird photo and call it a "seagull" because there is no such thing as a seagull.

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Gulls, Ducks and Geese in a Snow Storm

By Mia McPherson|January 22nd, 2017|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Canada Geese, Common Goldeneyes, Mallards, Redheads, Ring-billed Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya americana, Branta canadensis, Bucephala clangula, California Gull, Canada Geese, Common Goldeneye, Larus californicus, Larus delawarensis, Mallard, Redhead, Ring-billed Gull, snow flakes, snow storm, snowflakes, snowy, snowy day|

I spent about 40 minutes photographing the gulls, ducks and geese in the snow storm here in northern Utah yesterday and had a lot of fun doing it.

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Eye Color Variation in California Gulls

By Mia McPherson|December 19th, 2016|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: adult, California Gull, close up, eye color, eye color variation, eye color variations, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, nonbreeding plumage, portrait, winter, winter plumage|

The typical eye color for California Gulls is a very dark brown that appears almost black in most cases but there can be variations in their eye color.

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Double-crested Cormorant with its Catch – The Story Behind the Images

By Mia McPherson|December 13th, 2016|Categories: Birds, California Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, Salt Lake County, Utah|Tags: California Gull, cormorant, cormorants, Double-crested Cormorant, fish, gull, gulls, Larus californicus, Nannopterum auritus, pond, prey, swallowing, urban, weather|

It was fun photographing this Double-crested Cormorant with its catch yesterday afternoon close to home especially since I knew the weather was going to take a turn.

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